Another major court case against MAN and Iveco

The court in Munich for the first time started proceedings against truck producers involved in price collusion. The case concerns a compensation claim for damages resulting from the illegal agreements between manufacturers on the price of trucks.

In the District Court in Munich, a trial started on Wednesday regarding compensation claims from truck manufacturers who in 1997-2011 formed a price-fixing cartel. The case was brought to court by a German forwarding company against MAN and Iveco.

The forwarder based in Berlin demands compensation because, as he claims, he bought several hundred trucks at inflated prices. In turn, truck manufacturers refute accusations as unfounded, because the customer was not harmed, the German media reports.

Until now, the cases brought to court by transport companies against the producers creating the cartel were settled in the first instance in favor of the plaintiffs. However, no damages have been determined by the court.

Probably the largest lawsuit was filed by the Federal Association for Road Transport Logistics and Waste Management (BGL) in Munich. It represents 3,200 forwarding and transport companies, and the case concerns 85,000 trucks. BGL estimates that carriers’ losses amount to over 500 million euros. The trial will start next year.